Daniel and Jonas Brand are 5th generation winemakers who took over the family vineyard in Bockenheim, northern Pfalz, in 2014. The brothers converted 22 hectares of vines to organic farming and began to make natural wines that are now enjoyed far and wide across the world. Alongside winemaking, Daniel and Jonas are slowly returning to the mixed-crop approach the farm was founded on in their grandparents’ day, with the aim to build soil health and nurture biodiversity. Fruit trees, cover crops and vegetables are grown as well as winter wheat; a mix of twenty five different strains that flourish intermingled and are milled into a complex, high protein flour, currently transformed into baked goods at Pankratiushof. As for Pet Nat, Daniel and Jonas made their first in 2015: an initial 900 bottles that has now reached a production of 30,000! An advantage of size and volume is the ability to blend and experiment. Although they still have a relatively small cellar, there are plenty of barrels to play with in search of stability. Over the years, Daniel and Jonas have developed processes for each variety which give the results they desire. They’ve found that the benefit of processing in the same way each year gives a true reflection of that particular vintage, including the extreme weather patterns and fluctuations which are increasingly common.
2022 was an incredibly hot year, with unexpected results. After a short 18 hour maceration, the Pinot Blanc came off the press far more orange than Jonas and Daniel expected! Despite its appearance, Pet Nat Blanc ’22 is fresh and crisp with 60% Pinot Blanc and 40% Silvaner. After more time in the bottle, it has developed into a gently mouthwatering wine with a touch of herbaceous bitterness, and ripe peach mixed with orange peel on the nose. Perfect to pour by the glass — fun to drink and still full of bubbles on the second day. Enjoy chilled.